The Most Common Rheumatoid Diseases

A rheumatic disease is a disease that affects the connective tissues and joints in the body and some of the main symptoms of rheumatic disease include swelling in the joints, muscle and joint pain, stiffness in the joints, tiredness and at times depression depending on the kind of rheumatoid disease a person has. Arthritis is the most commonly-known rheumatoid disease in our world and it affects millions of people each day, particularly middle-aged persons and the elderly. The above mentioned rheumatoid disease symptoms are a part of arthritis and treatments for this illness include injections, physical therapy, cold or hot packs, muscle rubs, good nutrition and pain relievers.

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a rheumatoid illness in which the person suffers chronic pain all over his body and currently there is no cure for it, but there are various treatments available for this condition to make the sufferer's life easier. Fibromyalgia sufferers also experience fatigue and occasionally depression and frustration with their situation. Additional symptoms of this condition include inability to do physical activity for hours, anxiety, headaches and frequent urination. Common treatments for fibromyalgia include anti-inflammatory drugs, heat therapy, massages, and physical therapy.Gout Gout is a type of arthritis where your large toes, elbows, knees and fingers are primarily affected. The most common symptom of gout is extreme pain in the joints but other symptoms include stiffness, swelling, redness in the joints and at times the development of lumps on the outer sections of joints. A person who feels he may have gout would visit the doctor where he may receive a blood test in order to test the amount of uric acid in the joints. Men get gout more than women and it is usually older men who develop it. Pain medication and a reduction of protein-rich foods help with eliminating gout.

Rheumatic diseases are becoming more common among our society but thanks to the latest medical technology, you can get the best treatment from your doctor and you will be able to function better in life because of it. If you have a history of rheumatic disease in your family, you should talk with your doctor about your medical history so that he can develop a strategy for preventing the illness from ravaging your body. Finally, change your diet if necessary and try to get in some exercise during the week.

Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis Recovery

One of the most debilitating diseases of today is rheumatoid arthritis. Many people of various ages suffer from this disease although it is common in adults in their middle age on wards. This is an autoimmune diseases that is degenerative and it is does not have a concrete treatment yet in the field of rheumatology. Palliative care or treatment is available and doctors specializing in rheumatology are the right practitioners to get help from. Palliative care is useful in treating pain and slowing the process of the disease progression according to rheumatology.

Rheumatoid arthritis's progression can be minimized. If it exists in one's genes then it will definitely affect the individual. Its incidence are higher in women than in men and it often occurs when one reaches middle age. As mentioned, palliative care helps a great deal, therefore it is commonly given to people suffering from he disease. Medication for pain and steroid drugs are often given to patients for them to continue with their everyday activities. This disease, when seen at early stage can be alleviated with the help of surgery. Joints that have stiffened and cannot move well anymore are often replaced with metal parts through surgery. Rather than leaving the patient incapable in making movement on body parts affected with the disease, surgery is the best option. Medication can be used in treating pain, but surgery proves to be one of the best solutions.

Modifying one's diet is also very important for patients suffering from this disease. It is an autoimmune disease therefore; it is only the body that can combat it. In our body, we have natural antibodies that will help combat autoimmune diseases. When we eat the right kind of food, we are helping our body produce sufficient antibodies to combat the disease or slow down the worsening of the symptoms. Diet of people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis is rich in vegetable protein. It is because animal protein will just precipitate the worsening of the symptoms.

Exercise is also very important in patients suffering RA. This is because it allows the joints to move well and to prevent it from stiffening. If one is overweight, it is very important to lose the extra weight. Weight can give too much stress on weakened joints due to RA and it can be painful on leg joints if one is extra heavy. Strenuous exercises are not necessary. Just as long as movements allow joints and other parts of the body to be used, it should be enough.

What Services Does a Rheumatologist Provide?

When you start having rheumatic diseases affecting your joints, bones, and muscles, the person you need to visit is a rheumatologist. In the field of medicine, a rheumatologist is a specialist who has received training in the diagnosis and treatment of arthritis and other musculoskeletal diseases. Many rheumatology Chicago doctors also carry out research to find the cause and better treatment for these various rheumatic diseases.

When should you see chicago rheumatology doctor?

If you have been experiencing severe muscle and joint pains for a number of days, it makes sense for you to visit a rheumatology Chicago clinic. There are over 100 types of rheumatic conditions such as joint inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis, and polymyositis. Some of these diseases are very serious and can be hard to analyze and treat which makes it a good option to visit a specialist whenever you experience some rheumatic symptoms.

What does Rheumatologists treat and what services do they offer?

A rheumatologist is specially trained to treat arthritis, autoimmune diseases, musculoskeletal pain, and osteoporotic conditions. They are experts in diagnosing the cause of rheumatic swellings and pains. Rheumatic diseases are very complex in nature. One or two visits from rheumatology Chicago clinic may not be enough to get a diagnosis and treatment. Most of these diseases are long-term and they sometimes develop and change over some period of time. Rheumatologists work closely with their patients and find solutions to their patient’s problems by designing a treatment plan.

The services offered by rheumatologists depend on the patient’s needs and case. Individual treatments and services depend on the severity of your rheumatic disease and the drugs that can help aid your condition. For example, if you have been diagnosed with an autoimmune rheumatic disease, the primary focus of your treatment is by keeping you comfortable through anti-inflammatory drug treatments such as anti-inflammatory drugs, immune-suppressive drugs, or your doctor may also suggest you to undergo stem cell transplants.In some cases, rheumatologists work with other health care specialist depending on the patient’s needs, mostly with physicians. As mentioned, rheumatism is complex disease which is why other doctors and rheumatologists work inter-dependently. They seek advice from each other about the diagnosis and treatment of particular rheumatic diseases. Thus, they work as a team which may include nurses, therapists, and psychologists. In treating complex diseases, it is important that you find a great team of doctors you are comfortable working with since some of these diseases are long term in nature.

What is Rheumatology?

Rheumatoloty is a specialty in medicine that works with diagnosing and treating rheumatic diseases. Rheumatic diseases are diseases which negatively affect the muscles, tissues and joints in your body. Rheumetic diseases also affect the bones. Rheumatology mainly deals with pains that are brought on by gout, lupus, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia and many of the diseases the rheumatologist as to deal with are very serious and are hard to identify or cure. Lupus causes dermatological symptoms and cause ulcers and skin lesions. Joint pain is a common side effect of lupus The thing about lupus is that it can be fatal and it never goes away. If you start having joint pains or other pains that are associated with the rheumatic diseases , then you should see a rheumatologist right away. If the pains are not too severe , then you should have a wait and see attitude , however, if these are recurring pains or pains that last more than a few days, then you should most definitely seek medical advice. A lot of the conditions, like with arthritis , for example, can cause permanent injuries if they are not caught soon enough and treatment has not begun. Rheumatologists are specially trained to find the root causes of swelling and pain of the joints.

Becoming a rheumatologist is not an easy task! Like many medical professionals, they spend a lot of time training in colleges and education past high school. They first have to do four years of medical school and then three years of residency before they can become board certified. Then they go to school for another two or three years to train in an accredited rheumatology program. Much like a doctor, they can spend years of their life in training before they start to make good money. However, a rheumatologist can make 193,000 dollars a year! Great salary compared to the average worker who makes 40 grand a year. The work is long and hard for a while there though. Before you can be the type of doctor who is called , goes in to write someone a prescription, and then goes off for a game of golf, you have to pay your dues. In the beginning, you will work very hard with little reward. Disciplines that require so much studious effort don’t leave much room for partying or a wild social life. More like studying and working many hours a week, but in the end, it can pay off big time.

Chicago Rheumatologists Fight Lupus

Lupus is one of the common diseases treated by Chicago Rheumatologists. First, let’s do a quick review of what rheumatologists do. Rheumatology is a field of medicine that focuses on solving problems involving joints, soft tissues, autoimmune diseases, vasculitis, and heritable connective tissue disorders. While this is sometimes looked at as part of internal medicine, given the areas of the body it looks at, it can also be viewed as a subspecialty of orthopedics as well. So, no let’s get back to lupus, more officially known as systemic lupus erythematosus. This is a really nasty little condition that affects approximately 1.5 million Americans. What happens in this disease is that the immune system starts attacking healthy tissue. While this symptom is not usually life threatening, it can range from mildly annoying to fairly painful. Symptoms can also include

Check pain

Fatigue

Fever (without other cause)

Hair loss

Malaise

Photosensitivity

Swollen lymph nodes

Skin rashes

So how do Chicago rheumatologists treat people with lupus? There is no cure for lupus, but there are treatments available to rheumatologists to help make lupus patients more comfortable as they cope with this disease. The first treatment most people think of are the medications available through a rheumatologist. These drugs can include corticosteroids, and monoclonal antibodies, just to name a few. When it comes to treating lupus, rheumatologists will often recommend consultation with several other physicians as well to ensure specific organs are not damaged through the disease or its treatment. A good rheumatologist may also recommend alternative treatments for lupus. These other treatments may include changes to diet, acupuncture, vitamin supplements, massage and yoga. The treatment of lupus is something that needs to take the full body into consideration, and is something that rheumatologists take very seriously. If you know someone who’s dealing with lupus, make sure their rheumatologist is offering more than simple medicinal solutions for their condition, as there is so much more out there to make life more bearable. If you know of a Chicago Rheumatologist who is exceptionally gifted at treating lupus, please send me a note so I can refer some folks who are in deep need of a compassionate rheumatologist.